I love buying and receiving journals. When I was in high school, I filled journal after journal with my questions about life, my meanderings about what kind of job I should get, and of course, about all the boys I had crushes on. Decades later, I don’t journal...

A special welcome to my friends from Proverbs 31 who read my devotion. So glad you stopped by! The concept of writing a thank you letter is familiar to you. But what about writing a thank you letter to God? Have you ever written one? Well, if you write a thank you...

What does success look like for your child? Maybe it looks like becoming an overnight YouTube sensation or professional gamer. Success however doesn’t happen overnight, and it actually doesn’t primarily have anything to do with talent. Here’s two...

Mentors are role models your kids can talk to. Does your son or daughter have people like this in their lives? Finding mentors for your kids isn’t as complicated as you may think…but it is something you do on purpose. My son Ethan has been in Royal...

Game plan for the summer screen time in your home! Here are some ideas to choose from to make your summer more sane with on-purpose screen time instead of screen time that takes over your entire summer. Create your own family media plan here on the AAP (American...

Here’s this week’s Facebook live chat: Marriage Quiz: Ask these 3 questions today Ask these 3 questions today for a quick marriage checkup: 1. Are we laughing and having fun everyday? 2. Are we making love regularly? 3. Do I usually have an attitude of...

I have a pretty good track record with remembering to pick up my kids from school, but this semester, I broke my “perfect pick up” streak. I thought my daughter had biked in to school, but we went with the car. (Duh! I dropped her off at school...

Yes, my friend, you read that right. We can learn how to negotiate with our toddler, child, or teen from a former FBI hostage negotiator! Our kids can hold us hostage in our own homes with their angry rants and tantrums. They can make their demands and get exactly...

A special welcome to my Proverbs 31 friends! How can we keep romance alive and well in our marriages? My husband James and I tied the knot over 20 years ago. It was supposed to rain on my wedding day, but thankfully it didn’t on that January day in Virginia....

What a joy today to be featured on one of my favorite radio programs Focus on the Family! Hosts Jim Daly and John Fuller do a stellar job making guests feel at home and bringing helpful information to families every day. We are talking about the ideas in my book...

This holiday season, many parents lament… How can I get my children to stop playing video games all day long? Here are 7 non-video game activities to do with your family. They are things we have done and tested! Spending extra time together over the holiday...

***This giveaway is closed. Congratulations to Lisa L!*** When 6,000 kids were asked about their parents phone use, get ready for this… 54 percent of kids felt their parents checked this phones too often 36 percent said their parents’ worst habit was...

***This giveaway is now closed. Congrats April W*** I am so happy to have my friend Ruth Schwenk guest posting today AND offering a giveaway of her new devotional, The Better Mom Devotional. Isn’t it beautiful? Let’s get some truth into our...

Welcome friends from Proverbs 31! I wrote in my Proverbs 31 devotional today about how our words matter. Sometimes we can be nice to strangers but unkind to those closest to us. Why? I think it’s because we spend a lot of time together with our family and...

As we enter the October/November/December months, it’s the perfect time to think about our health and make some eating decisions before the onslaught of tasty treats comes our way! You know what I mean, right? October brings Halloween candy into my home. ...

Do your kids wear earbuds sometimes? Wearing earbuds can be a physical symbol that communicates, “I’m busy. Please don’t talk to me.” Yes, there are good uses for earbuds, but wearing them can become a bad habit for kids (and adults!). Instead...

Has your child played hours and hours of Fortnite this summer? If so, he or she isn’t alone. More than 125 million people are playing. How can you tell if your child is addicted? Find out in today’s Facebook Live chat. Each week, I’ll be doing a...

Could you use some practical parenting advice? Whether your child is currently thriving or struggling, you will find encouragement in today’s episode of Focus on the Family. I am beyond honored to be a broadcast guest today. Talking with Jim Daly and John...

I saw a t-shirt the other day that read, “My Coffee Needs Coffee.” If we’re counting on coffee or personal confidence to get us through the day, we won’t get too far for too long. Instead we must count on the God of Israel who never sleeps!...

Years ago, before my first book was every published, I told a dear friend my dream: Someday, I would like to be on Focus on the Family. It seemed like a very far fetched, crazy, pie-in-the-sky dream for sure. How amazing that God has brought this dream to pass and...

I’ve been going to a neighborhood spin class for more than 13 years now. In class today, my instructor yelled, “ISOLATE!” What did she mean by that? Did she want me to go back home and sit alone in my room? No, of course not (although that would have been nice!)....

This morning, the breakfast table was strangely quiet. Just three years ago, my three kids sat around the breakfast table in a beehive of activity and chatter. Then when my oldest went to middle school (which started one hour before elementary school), that left my...